Judge Dredd: 'The Stupid Gun!'
Write the first paragraph of your page here. 'The Stupid Gun!' Write the first section of your page ‘The Stupid Gun!’ was a story in Judge Dredd that featured in three 2000AD episodes, Progs 316-318 '' in early 1983 It was classed as one of the more innovative and humorous Dredd tales displaying bizarre Mega City One technology and of course Wagner’s first class imagination combined with Ron Smiths powerfully detailed artwork ''‘The Stupid Gun!’ was about an IQ reducing ‘ray’ weapon (hence its obvious nickname) that falls into the wrong hands, resulting in chaos and hilarity across various parts of the vast Metropolis. This would only be brought to a halt by Dredd himself! Of course the creation of such a weapon invites the question ‘why would anyone invent such a device?’ Most sensible answer would be ‘Only in Mega City One!’ . SynopsisThe opening artwork displays Dredd, accompanied by another Judge, in a Multi-Block apartment surrounded by a dozen or so regressed and imbecilic adults causing minor havoc. Watching a young ‘Juve’, called Eck Muttox, introducing himself on a ‘YouTube’ style home-made vid-clip, he explains his current situation of how he comes to have several ‘gibbering idiots’ in his apartment. Going into brief detail, this gives Dredd enough of a lead to establish what the hell has happended and what the Justice Dept need to do next Eck Muttox is on his monthly work experience program, or Juve Opportunities Scheme, as a cleaner at the North Side Mega-Technic science lab belonging to Professor Keefer. Standing close to the Prof, young Muttox comes across a bizarre, chunky ‘ray gun’ style weapon and picking it up, asks the Prof ‘What’s this Gizmo?’ Professor Keefer explains to Muttox that it is a ‘Neuro Pattern Disassembler’ which can completely wipe clean the brain and can erase intelligence patterns built up through life. He also mentions that he ‘hasn’t found a use for it yet!’ Muttox clearly amazed and intrigued at this unusual device begins to handle it and whilst in conversation, accidently squeezes the trigger resulting in a thick white electro style beam being emitted from the end of the weapon which unintentionally enters the helpless professors head. The effects of the Neuro Pattern Disassembler are almost instant and the startled Prof sinks to the floor succumbing to the effects of its intelligence reducing capabilities. Shocked and stunned at his unintended actions, Muttox clearly is aware of his unfortunate predicament of completely wiping clean the brain of his temporary employer ‘Oh Gumbo! What Have I done!’ Deciding on a plan, Muttox rolls the now drooling and mindless Prof up in large rug and carries him home to a vast Multi-Block where he lives with his parents. Equally horrified at this, Muttox’s parents refuse to look after the Prof and threaten to call the Judges. Clearly this was not in young Ecks plan, so as he has brought the ‘Stupid Gun’ with him, he has no choice but to use it on both of them. Muttox realising he now has three slavering ‘idiots’ to look after, is forced to turn to a life of crime, using the weapon in various muggings and robberies which he calls ‘Stupe-Ups!’ It is during one of Eck’s ‘stupe-ups’, that he is observed by a small time hoodlum who reports what he has witnessed to his Crime-Boss, Rek Bogel. Bogel, clearly impressed by the description of this bizarre weapon, calls it a ‘Major breakthrough in Criminal Technology’ and orders the local hoodlum to track Muttox down and retrieve this Stupid Gun. The hoodlum and an accomplice fail to report back to the Crime-Boss, resulting in a larger gang posse being sent to the Muttox apartment. Young Muttox manages to 'stupe' most these also before the Stupid Gun is finally taken from him, thus answering the question of why so many imbeciles are in one place! Recognising some of the now stupefied gang members, Dredd immediately raids Rek Bogels run down 'Shuggy Joint' only to find the whole place also complete with dozens of 'Goo-Goo' idiot customers and gang members, including Bogel himself. Bogel is humerously seen gnawing on a 'Shuggy Cue' whilst a bemused Dredd thinks to himself 'Hmmm Problems!' Clearly tracking down the Stupid Gun and its new owners will not be easy In another Sector, a Judge arrives outside the scene of a reported 'Gem Heist'. Radioing in details, Judge Unger suddenly confronts two hooded Perps leaving the gem store and immediately recognises the unusual shaped weapon they are carrying.Too slow to react in time, the Perps use the Stupid Gun on Unger, completely wiping clean his brain and rendering him into a drooling and docile mess. Chewing on his radio mic, all Unger can utter is DUUHHHHH! displaying a happy and vacant expression on his face Control, unable to make intelligent conversation with the unfortunate Judge Unger, direct a further two more to the scene where a witness to the incident directs the Judges to an Up-Block Elevator leading into a large Multi-Block complex. Here it becomes apparent that the two Perps have 'done the dirty' on the Bogel Gang which explains why the Shuggy Joint was full of morons. Inside the elevator, the persuing Judges find a discarded hood from one of the crooks and conclude they have escaped onto the vast 'Zoom-Tube' network that connects Mega-City One. This proves to be correct, as the two Perps have indeed boarded Zoom-Tube 444 and are now moving away from the scene at high speed The Zoom is relatively busy, being full of passengers and the two fugitives, carrying the Gem Heist loot, decide it would be an excellent idea to use the Stupid Gun on these Citizens and rob them! 'Separate these Crumbs from their Creds!' The main Perp, 'Crazy-Legs Pulver' carrying this nefarious weapon, announces loudly 'Hey Everybody, It's Brain-Drain Time!' and systematically begins to 'stupe-up' each of the shocked passengers one by one. Soon the Zoom is alive with idiots as the helpless citizens, unable to escape the speeding Zoom-Tube, are reducing into mindlessly clambering and stumbling victims whilst Pulver's accomplice strips them of their creds It doesn't take long for the driverless computer control system, at the front of the Zoom-Tube, to become smashed up and seriously damaged by the moronic and heavy handed activity of some of the victims, now rendering Zoom-Tube 444 out of control to the systems robotic handlers. By now Pulver and his accomplice have pretty much stuped-up all of the passengers are unaware the speeding Zoom has no way of stopping as it zips across Mega-City One and through the various Multi-Block stations. It catches many oblivious platform passengers at a Block completely unaware and unfortunately they are sucked onto the tracks, electrocuted and also thrust out of the huge Multi-Block opening to the City below An update is flashed to Dredd who follows it to the next nearest Multi-Block station it will pass, riding his Lawmaster onto the station platform, he clears it of any citizens, Dredd then maximises his speed to match that of the Zoom rushing through and manages to leap onto two large door grips attached to the outside of a Zoom compartment, causing the Lawmaster to crash at the end of the platform Dredd is able to to smash his way into the speeding Zoom through one of the compartment windows, DROKK!.....TUBE'S FULLA MORONS! and quickly realises this will not be an easy task to negotiate through the dozens of clambering and drooling idiots onboard. Eventually locating an Emergency Stop lever, Dredd activates this, bringing the out of control Zoom to a grinding, crashing halt just before it piles into its final terminus at Wall Street. The two Perps realise what has happened and move back down the compartments to 'stupe' Dredd, clearly aware of this predicament, Judge Dredd pulls his Lawgiver only for it be be inconveniently jammed! One of the Perps discharges a pistol at Dredd but misses thus giving him time to bring him down with an expertly thrown Bootknife to the neck But now Crazy Legs Pulver has homed in on Dredd and is feet away from erasing his brains into mush! Dodging a series of Stupid Gun beams, Dredd manages to locate a mirror that has come loose during the Zooms crash. Quickly rolling over onto his back, he stares up at Pulver who is now standing directly over him, Stupid Gun pointed at his helmeted head, it almost seems to be all over, IQ wise, for Dredd 'Say 'Bye Bye to Your Brain!' shouts Pulver Not so, as Dredd swiftly pulls the mirror in front of his head and causes the Stupid Gun beam to reflect right, smack into the brain of the Perp, instantly reducing him into one of the idiots like his many victims! The story ends with Dredd dragging the now drooling and happily moronic Pulver along the Wall St Terminus platform to a crowd of waiting media. Shouting out questions to a completely oblivious fugitive, one asked the stupefied Perp 'What do ya think of the Stupid Gun now?' Only to be replied back with DUUHHHHH!' '' Most memorable quotes from 'The Stupid Gun!' Zoom-Tube heist: 'Only trouble is, they tend to drool on ya once they've been 'stuped'!' ''' 'What a scam, like taking Mock Chocs from a baby!'